Sign holder



March 27, 1934. L. s. TRACHSEL SIGN HOLDER Filed Feb. 6. 1933 W lu mimn e y mm 5 7mm N 7 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 "PATENT OFFICE SIGN HOLDER Louis S. Trachsel, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 6, 1933, Serial No. 655,431

5 Claims.

This invention relates to sign holders of more or less permanent construction for displaying pe riodically changed bulletins or signs.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign holder in which the bulletin or sign may be quickly inserted and removed.

Another object is to provide a sign holder which may be readily disassembled after continued exposure to outdoor weather.

Another object is to provide an improved and simplified device of the above type, eliminating bolts and similar elements which must be removed to change the bulletin or sign.

These objects and others are attained substantially in the device illustrated in. the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device.

Figure 2 is a detail elevational view showing a part of the upper edge of the holder.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the lower edge of the sign holder.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective View showing the corner construction.

The device is formed substantially of a supporting A-shaped outer member A, including angular upright standards 1 and transverse top and bottom bars 2 and 3, and an inner clamping member B including uprights 5 and transverse top and bottom bars 6 and 7. Feet 4 are formed at the bottom extremities of standards 1. The cross bars 2 and .3 and upper portions of standards 1 of the support form a rectangular backing member for a bulleetin or sign C of stiff cardboard, metal, or other sheet material.

On the outer edge of the bottom cross bar 3 of the backing member are a pair of lugs 8. The upright flange of bottom transverse bar 7 of the clamping member B is provided with a series of short offsets forming tongues 9. These tongues are inclined to the vertical, as shown in Figure 5, and project from the plane of the upright flange sufficiently to snugly engage the sign C when the cross bars '7 and 3 are assembled.

In the center of the outwardly disposed flanges of each of the standards 1 and top cross bar 2 of the backing member is a rivet or similar element 10 with its rounded head projecting inwardly. The adjacent uprights 5 and top cross bar 6 of the inner clamping member are provided with recesses 11, formed similarly to the tongues 9 in the lower cross bar '7, arranged to clear the heads of these rivets 1G in the assembled position of the parts (Figure 3).

To assemble the holder, the sign is seated against the inwardly disposed flanges of the backing member. The lower bar '7 of the clamping member is then inserted between the lugs 8 and flange 3a of the cross bar 3, and with the bottom flange 7a seated against lugs 8, the claming member is swung inwardly about bar 3 as a pivot. The sides 5 and the top bar 6 of the clamping member are sufficiently yielding that upon engagement with the rivets 10 they will be sprung slightly inwardly to pass over the rivet heads and engage the sign sheet.

Preferably the rivets 10 project inwardly a suilicient distance to be engaged by the inwardly inclined sides of the recesses 11 and thereby maintain the clamping member in snug engagement with the sign sheet. The tongues 9 yieldingly engage the lower edge of thesheet, and the lugs 8 prevent outward movement of the lower bar 7. Thus the clamping member is firmly secured in position without the use of extraneous bolts or the usual wing clamps. To disassemble the device, it is merely necessary to insert an edged instrument, such as a screwdriver, between the top cross bars 2 and 6 of the backing and clamping members, forcing the bar 6 downwardly and outwardly beneath the rivet 10. The same movement will spring up: rights 5 past their abutting rivets, permitting the lower bar '7 to be lifted over the lugs 8.

While the sign is securely held between the assembled clamping and backing members, it may be quickly and easily removed, moreover, no bolts or screws are utilized which may rust' and hinder disassembly after continued outdoor exposure, the clamping frame being self-securing when snapped into position. The device on the whole is substantially simpler and more convenient than similar devices at present known.

The invention is not limited to the exact details of the structure shown and these may be varied as to such details as the size and shape of the holder and its parts, and the clamping elements may be reversed, if desired. The exclusive use of all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. In a sign holder, a backing frame including a structural member having a projection, and a clamping frame including a structural member resilient in a direction parallel to the plane of the sign and with a recessed part, said lastmentioned structural member being adapted to spring past said projection when said frames are legs of said members in a manner to yieldingly assembled and said recessed part having a transversely sloping surface disposed to engage said projection to cause said members to yieldingly grip the sign.

2. In a sign holder, nesting outer and inner frames having angle shaped frame members with legs parallel to the plane of the sign for holding the sign therebetween and other legs transverse thereto, and an inward projection on the transverse leg of the outer member, the sign-paralleling leg of said outer member constituting a sign backing and the transverse leg of the inner member being shaped to fit between said projection and said backing, there being a restricted offset on the sign paralleling leg of said inner member resilient transversely of the plane of the sign under normal assembling pressures whereby said inner member is adapted to fit snugly between said projection and said backing and with said backing constitute yielding sign gripping means.

3. In a sign holder, nesting backing and clamping frames having corresponding angle shaped frame members. each with a leg parallel to the plane of the sign and a leg transverse thereto, and a projection on the transverse leg of one of said members, the transverse leg of the other member being yielding to permit distortion thereof to pass said projection when the frames are assembled and having an inclined surface disposed to engage said projection and exert wedging pressure thereon to urge together the sign paralleling grip a sign held therebetween.

4. In a sign holder, nesting outer and inner frames having corresponding angle shaped frame members each with a leg parallel to the plane of the sign and a leg transverse thereto, and an inward projection on the transverse leg of the outer member, said inner member being yielding to permit distortion of the same to pass said projection in assembling said frames, the transverse leg of said inner member having a surface so disposed as to engage said projection in the assembled position and to urge together said sign paralleling legs in a manner to yieldingly grip a sign held therebetween.

5. In a sign holder, an outer frame having a member of angle iron with flanges parallel to the plane of the holder and transverse thereto, an element projecting inwardly from the edge of the transverse flange of said member, and an inner frame fitting into said outer frame and having an angle iron member nested in said outer frame member, the transverse flange of said inner frame member being narrower than the corresponding flange of said outer frame member so as to fit freely between said project- .ing element and the holder paralleling flange of said outer member, and the holder paralleling flange of said inner frame member being bent transversely, at least in part, from its normal position to form yielding sign gripping means with said outer frame member.

LOUIS S. TRACHSEL. 

